High speed data bus

ABSTRACT

The invention comprises data processing systems and components thereof. Such systems may include a memory controller, a plurality of memory devices, a data bus coupling the memory controller with the plurality of memory devices, and at least one bus switch located in the data bus between the memory controller and one of the plurality of memory devices. Memory integrated circuits and memory modules including at least one switch in the data bus are also provided.

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/089,541, filed on Mar. 24, 2005, which is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 10/021,388, filed on Dec. 6, 2001, now U.S.Pat. No. 6,903,954, which is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No.09/015,845, filed on Jan. 29, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,349,051, theentirety of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates generally to the field of computing systems. Morespecifically, the invention relates to creating a high speed data busbetween a processor circuit and a memory array.

2. Description of the Related Art

Computing and data processing systems typically include a microprocessorwhich processes data that it retrieves from a memory circuit. Theresults of the processing operation are in turn stored back in thememory circuit. The rate at which the microprocessor can performaccesses to the memory to retrieve operands and store results maytherefore create a limitation on the speed at which the computing systemcan perform the tasks it has been programmed to perform.

Several factors are significant in determining the speed at which memoryaccesses can be performed. There is, for example, an inherent delaybetween the presentation of row and column addresses to the memorycircuit and the time at which the requested data appears at the outputof the memory circuit. In many systems, this problem is reduced by thepractice of using a small amount of fast access but expensive memory asa cache for frequently used data. Main data storage remains comprised ofa large amount of slower, less expensive memory.

Another source of delay is the speed at which signals representative ofdigital data can be placed on the data bus which couples themicroprocessor to the memory circuit. The speed of this data transfer isaffected by the parasitic capacitance between each bus line and groundor other low impedance signal. This is because the device which istransferring data by driving the lines of the bus high or low mustcharge or discharge this parasitic capacitance with each transition, andthe time required to accomplish this increases with increasing parasiticcapacitance.

This affect has long been recognized and several different ways ofaddressing it have been developed. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,148,047 toSpohrer, for example, a higher speed bus driver circuit is describedwhich adds a minimal amount of stray capacitance to the bus line. In thespecific case of a data bus between a microprocessor and memory, U.S.Pat. Nos. 5,465,229 and 5,260,892 suggest careful routing of data bustraces to minimize bus line capacitance and loading.

In each of these cases, however, the benefits are limited. Altering thedriver circuit does not alter the inherent capacitance of the bus linesthemselves. Altering bus line routing, although helpful, still leavesbus lines with significant parasitic capacitance. Furthermore, neitherof these methods addresses the fact that the bus is loaded with theinput capacitance of the memory circuits themselves.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention comprises data processing systems which may include amemory controller, a plurality of memory devices, a data bus couplingthe memory controller with the plurality of memory devices, and at leastone bus switch located in the data bus between the memory controller andone of the plurality of memory devices.

Components of data processing systems are also provided. In oneembodiment, the invention includes a memory integrated circuitcomprising a contact which connects to a data bus and a switch, whereinan input portion of the switch is connected to the contact. In anotherembodiment, the invention includes a memory module comprising a printedcircuit board and at least one electrical contact arranged on theprinted circuit board to receive digital data. The memory module mayalso include at least one memory integrated circuit attached to theprinted circuit board, and at least one switch having one or more inputsconnected to corresponding ones of the one or more electrical contacts,and one or more outputs connected to the memory integrated circuit(s).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing one mode of operation of a computingsystem which incorporates the invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a switch which may beused in systems which incorporate the invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a computing system incorporating anembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a computing system incorporating anotherembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of one embodiment of a memory subsystemincorporating the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of another embodiment of a memory subsystemincorporating the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an illustration of one embodiment of a memory cycle decoderfor controlling a transfer gate.

FIG. 8 is an illustration of another embodiment of a memory cycledecoder for controlling a transfer gate.

FIG. 9 is an illustration of a third embodiment of a memory cycledecoder for controlling a transfer gate.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram of one embodiment of a memory integratedcircuit incorporating the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to theaccompanying Figures, wherein like numerals refer to like elementsthroughout.

FIG. 1 is an illustration of one operational mode of a system made inaccordance with the invention. In this system, one or more switches areassociated with memory elements of a computing system. Selectiveoperation of these switches reduces parasitic capacitance of a data bus,and thereby allows increases in the speed data transfer. Thus, operationof a system comprising one or more memory elements may begin at block10, with a switch associated with a memory element initially in the offstate. In this state, the memory element is decoupled from at least oneof the buses connecting it to the system processor. As represented byblock 11, the computing system monitors whether or not the memoryelement is being accessed by the host system. If not, the system loopsback to block 10, and leaves the switch in the off state. If a memoryelement access is being made, the system moves instead to block 12, atwhich point the switch is placed in the on state, thereby connecting thememory element to the portion of the bus it was isolated from.

As illustrated by block 13, once the switch is on, the system monitorswhether or not the memory access has been completed. If not, the systemcontinues to leave the switch in the on state. Once the memory accesscycle has completed, the system loops back to block 10, and places theswitch in the off state. Thus, the system decouples a memory elementfrom a bus when no memory access to or from the selected memory elementis being performed. It will be appreciated by those of skill in the artthat the switch need not necessarily remain in the on state for theentire duration of any given memory access cycle. It will typically besufficient to open the switch only during a portion of the memory cyclecorresponding to the time during which valid information should bepresent on the bus which is routed through the switch.

When the memory element is provided on a segment of a data bus which maybe decoupled from other data bus segments, this may have the beneficialaspect of reducing the parasitic capacitance of the remainder of thedata bus because the particular bus segment and its associated memoryelement no longer load the remainder of the data bus. In common computerapplications, the memory element may be a DRAM memory module. As thereare often two, four or perhaps eight memory modules provided, the abovedescribed system may decouple all but one of these modules during anygiven memory access, thereby significantly limiting the capacitiveloading on the bus connecting a memory controller to a memory modulebeing accessed.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the configuration of one embodiment of a busswitch is illustrated which may be used in a system implementing themode of operation described above with reference to FIG. 1. In thisembodiment, the bus switch 14 comprises one or more n-channel MOSFETtransistors with commonly connected gates 15. The switch of FIG. 2further includes an input portion 16 and an output portion 17,comprising one or more contacts for connection to corresponding one ormore lines of a bus 18. It can be appreciated, however, that which sideof the switch is considered the “input” and which side is considered the“output” is arbitrary, as data transmission can occur in eitherdirection when the switch is in the on state.

In this switch embodiment, the source 19 of each transistor may becoupled to a corresponding bus line of one segment of the bus 18. Thedrain 27 of each transistor may be coupled to a corresponding bus lineof another segment of the bus 18. The switch 14 therefore decouples orisolates the bus segments when the transistors comprising the switch arein the off state, and couples or connects the bus segments when thetransistors comprising the switch are in the on state. The transistorsare turned on by asserting the gates 15 via an input “transfer enable”signal line labeled TE in FIG. 2. Bus switch circuits such as thatillustrated in FIG. 2 are known to those of skill in the art. Integratedcircuit embodiments of such switches are available from, for example,Quality Semiconductor of Santa Clara, Calif., identified as their partnumbers QS3384 and QS32384.

FIG. 3 illustrates one embodiment of a computing system incorporatingthe invention. As shown in this Figure, the system includes a hostprocessor 20 which in one embodiment of the invention comprises amicroprocessor such as the X86 or Pentium™ families from IntelCorporation. Any digital data processing circuitry may, however,comprise the host processor 20 of FIG. 3, including digital signalprocessors, microcontrollers, multi-processor systems, etc. The hostprocessor 20 may interface with a memory controller 22. The memorycontroller interface circuitry includes a data bus 24 for the transferof digital data between the memory controller 22 and the host processor20. Additional circuitry including control and address buses alsoconnect between the host processor 20 and memory controller 22, butthese are not illustrated in FIG. 3.

The memory controller 22 connects to circuitry 26 for interfacing withone or more memory circuits 28, two of which are illustrated in FIG. 3.This interface circuitry 26 also includes a data bus 30 a-d for thetransfer of data between the memory circuits 28 and the memorycontroller 22. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the data bus between the memorycontroller 22 and memory elements 28 may comprise several branches 30 a,30 b, one for each of the separate memory elements 28. Each branch mayinclude a switch 32 a, 32 b that, as will be explained in detail below,may be used to selectively isolate portions or segments 30 c, 30 d ofthe data bus running from the memory controller to the memory circuitry28. It can be appreciated that by turning the switches 32 a and 32 b onor off, one or the other memory circuit 28 may be removed from the databus. For example, when the host processor requires data in the memorycircuit 28 connected to bus segment 30 c, switch 32 a may be switchedon, while switch 32 b may be switched off. Thus, the design of FIG. 3may reduce the parasitic capacitance that the memory controller needs tocharge and discharge during data transfers because a portion of the databus and the stray capacitance of unaccessed memory circuits are removed.

It will also be appreciated that although the host processor 20, memorycontroller 22, bus switches 32 a and 32 b, and memory 28 are illustratedas separate circuit blocks, various combinations could be placed on asingle integrated circuit (IC). In one embodiment applicable to currentpersonal computer designs, the host processor and memory controller aresecured to a motherboard as separate integrated circuits. The memorycircuit may be a conventional dynamic random access memory (DRAM)integrated circuit (IC). The DRAM IC may be part of a memory module 34which also incorporates a separate IC forming the bus switch. The memorymodule may be a standard SIMM or DIMM style as are well known in theart, wherein the DRAM and bus switch are soldered to a printed circuitboard which also includes contacts for interfacing with a matingmotherboard connector. In other embodiments, the switch is incorporatedinto the DRAM IC. In addition, the memory controller may be part of thehost processor IC. It is also contemplated that all of the circuitryshown in FIG. 3 may be placed on a single IC, or may be provided in amulti-chip package.

In another advantageous embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, a hostprocessor 21 interfaces with a memory controller 23 via a bus 25 in amanner analogous to that shown and described with reference to FIG. 3.Memory elements 29 are also provided in this system. In one commonapplication, the host processor 21 and memory controller 23 are separateintegrated circuits mounted on a personal computer motherboard alongwith a plurality of conventional DIMM or SIMM style DRAM memory modules35 with DRAM memory integrated circuits 29 mounted thereon. Alsoprovided in the embodiment of FIG. 4 is a bus switch 27 which splits asingle input data bus 31 a from the memory controller into a pluralityof output data buses 31 c, 31 d, 31 e, 31 f which are routed to therespective memory modules 35. It can thus be appreciated that in theFIG. 4 embodiment, the switch 27 includes the interface circuitry 26illustrated in FIG. 3. In the personal computer motherboard environmentreferred to above, the bus switch 27 may comprise another separateintegrated circuit mounted to the motherboard. This integrated circuitmay, for example, comprise a plurality of the switches illustrated inFIG. 2. In this embodiment, the input side 17 of each of the four wouldbe commonly connected to the input data bus 31 a, and the output sides16 would each be separately routed to one of the output data buses 31 c,31 d, 31 e, and 31 f. Therefore, selectively asserting the correspondingfour TE signal inputs would selectively couple the input data bus 31 ato one of the output buses 31 c, 31 d, 31 e, or 31 f.

As shown in FIG. 4, the memory controller 23 may include a controloutput 37 which controls the bus switch 27 so as to connect the inputdata bus 31 a to one of the output buses 31 c, 31 d, 31 e, and 31 fwhile the remaining three output buses remain disconnected from theinput bus. It can be appreciated that during memory accesses, the memorycontroller 23 will therefore only need to drive one bus and memorymodule rather than all of them during each memory access as is thecurrent state of the art.

Because given computer systems may have different numbers of memorymodules installed, it is convenient to design a memory controller whichis easily configurable to handle alternative system memory sizes. In oneembodiment, therefore, the control bus is two bits wide, and the memorycontroller is configurable to output an encoded four state output signal(i.e. 00, 01, 10, or 11) for selecting one of four banks, or a decodedtwo state signal (i.e. 01 or 10) for selecting between two memory banks.In the first case, the switch 27 may include four switches and ademultiplexer for selecting one of the TE signal inputs to assert basedon the value of the received four state control signal. In the secondcase, the switch 27 may include only two switches, wherein the TEcontrol inputs of the switch are driven directly with the respectivelines of the two state output. The same core memory controller logiccircuit can thus be configured for use in both large and small systems.Of course, it will be appreciated that the control output 37 maycomprise an encoded or decoded signal of more than two output lines. Thenumber of control output signals required may be determined by thenumber of separate memory elements in a given computer system.

It will also be appreciated that the switch and switch control circuitryof the present invention may be provided on a memory module itself,rather than on a motherboard. Thus, FIG. 5 illustrates one embodiment ofa DRAM memory module 60 manufactured in accordance with the invention.The memory module 60 includes one or more memory elements 62, each ofwhich may comprise a memory integrated circuit, which is mounted on aprinted circuit board (not illustrated). Also mounted on the printedcircuit board is a set of transfer gates 64, which may be constructed asillustrated in FIG. 2. As in conventional in memory modules, the module60 includes electrical contacts for connection to an address bus 66,control lines 68, and a data bus 70. The control signals 68 may includea row address strobe (RAS), column address strobe (CAS) and write enable(WE) familiar to those in the art, for example.

The data input electrical contacts of the memory module are connected bythe data bus 70 to inputs on the transfer gates 64. Outputs of thetransfer gates 64 are connected to the memory elements 62. As explainedabove with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the transfer gates are a type ofbus switch in the data bus 70. The transfer gates 64 may remain closedwhen the memory module is not being accessed by the host processor, andmay be opened when a memory access is being performed.

Referring again to FIG. 5, a gate control signal 72 may also be routedto another electrical contact on the memory module 60 from logiccircuitry which is external to the module 60. This gate control signal72 may be asserted whenever data is to be written to or read from themodule 60. In systems with several modules, a different gate controlsignal will be routed to each module to selectively open the appropriatetransfer gate for memory accesses from the various memory modules of thesystem.

FIG. 6 illustrates another embodiment of a memory module incorporatingthe invention. In analogy with the embodiment of FIG. 5, the memorymodule 76 of FIG. 6 also includes memory elements 62, a set of transfergates 64, and electrical contacts to interface with an address bus 66,control lines 68, and a data bus 70. In the embodiment of FIG. 6,however, the gate control signal 72 is not routed from external logiccircuitry to an additional electrical contact on the module. Instead, astate decoder 78 is provided on the module 76. The state decoder maycomprise a programmable logic device, for example. As inputs, the statedecoder 78 receives one or more of the control signals which arereceived from the host system. The state decoder 78 has the gate controlsignal 72 as an output. The state decoder 78 decodes the signals on thecontrol lines to determine whether or not a memory access to or from themodule is being made, and asserts the gate control signal 72 to open thetransfer gates 64 when a memory access is being made. This embodimenthas the advantage that no unconventional signal line for gate controlneeds to be created and routed to the memory module. Thus, a memorymodule as shown in FIG. 6 could be placed in existing, conventionalmemory applications such as personal computer applications without anymodification of a DRAM to memory controller interface.

Specific implementations of decoders for creating the necessary TEcontrol signals are illustrated in FIGS. 7, 8, and 9. Referring now toFIG. 7, a state decoder 78 could comprise an inverter 80 which has as aninput a chip select signal 82 which is asserted low. In this embodiment,the transfer gates 64 would be as shown in FIG. 2, and would be in theon state when the output of the inverter went high. This may beappropriate when applying the invention to synchronous-DRAM memorymodules, where a chip select signal is commonly used.

Referring now to FIG. 8, more complicated state decoders may bedesirable where the chip select input to the module is always asserted,and therefore the other memory control signals must be used to determinethe status of memory access. In this case, the state decoder 78 couldcomprise a state machine 84 made with a programmable gate array forexample. The state machine 84 would have inputs comprising RAS, CAS, andWE. As is known, there may be several of each of these signals,depending on the architecture of the memory module. The state machine 84will determine the status of memory accesses, and appropriately assertthe gate control signal 72 when data transfer is to occur.

FIG. 9 illustrates another decoder embodiment which may advantageouslybe used when the decoder is part of a memory controller as illustratedin FIG. 4. In this case, the address to be accessed selected by the hostprocessor will identify which memory module 35 is to be accessed. Inthis decoder embodiment, selected bits of the address to be accessed aresent on a bus 87 to a decode circuit 86. The decode circuit 86 thenselectively asserts the appropriate TE signal in response to the addressbits on output lines 72 a, 72 b, 72 c, and 72 d. Although illustrated asfour decoded outputs in FIG. 9, one of skill in the art will readily beable to decode the memory access addresses to produce the encoded twobit signal described above with regard to FIG. 4, or to produce otherconfigurations of encoded or decoded outputs depending the desiredapplication and bus switch configuration.

It may also be noted that bus switch and associated control circuitrymay alternatively be incorporated into a memory integrated circuit. Oneembodiment of this is illustrated in FIG. 10. The memory integratedcircuit 88 of FIG. 10 includes input terminals for the address bus 66and data bus 70. Also, control lines 68 are connected to control logiccircuitry 90 on the chip. As in conventional memory integrated circuits,the row and column addresses are input to a row latch 92 and columnlatch 94 respectively. These addresses are presented to a memory array96 via a row decoder 98 and a column decoder 100. Sense amplifiers andgating circuitry 102 route data into and out of the memory array. Thisdata is routed through input and output buffers 104 provided between thememory array 96, and the data bus terminals of the memory integratedcircuit 88.

In this embodiment of the invention, a transfer gate input is connectedto the data bus contacts on the integrated circuit 88, and a transfergate output is connected to data buffer registers. The control logic 90can be made to additionally include the state decoder circuitry 78described above with reference to FIG. 6. Thus, the transfer gate 64 isoff when no memory access is occurring, and is on when data is beingtransferred between the integrated circuit 88 and the host system.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departingfrom its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodimentis to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and notrestrictive and the scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated bythe appended claims rather than by the foregoing descriptions. Allcharges which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of theclaims are to be embraced within their scope.

1. A memory integrated circuit comprising: one or more data input/outputterminals; a buffer; a state decoder for receiving a chip select signal;a transfer gate in communication with the state decoder, the transfergate comprising an input portion connected to the one or more datainput/output terminals, and an output portion connected to the buffer,wherein the buffer is selectively decoupled from the data input/outputterminals in response to a change in state in the chip select signal,the transfer gate being operated so as to electrically decouple thebuffer from the data input/output terminals in response to the chipselect signal; and one or more control terminals for receiving memoryaccess control signals, and wherein a logic circuit is coupled to atleast one of the one or more control terminals.
 2. The memory integratedcircuit of claim 1, wherein the memory integrated circuit comprises thelogic circuit.
 3. The memory integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein thememory access control signals comprise at least one of a write enablesignal, the chip select signal, a row address strobe signal, and acolumn address strobe.
 4. The memory integrated circuit of claim 1,wherein the buffer is an input buffer.
 5. The memory integrated circuitof claim 1, wherein the buffer is an output buffer.
 6. The memoryintegrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the transfer gate is off when nomemory access is occurring, and wherein the transfer gate is on whendata is being transferred between the memory integrated circuit and ahost system.
 7. The memory integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein thelogic circuit is configured to vary a parasitic capacitance of the datainput/output terminals with the transfer gate.
 8. The memory integratedcircuit of claim 1, wherein the logic circuit receives the memory accesscontrol signals and selectively controls the transfer gate based on thememory access control signals.
 9. The memory integrated circuit of claim1, wherein the transfer gate is an integral part of the memoryintegrated circuit.
 10. The memory integrated circuit of claim 1,wherein the transfer gate varies a parasitic capacitance associated withthe data input/output terminals by selectively electrically decouplingthe data input/output terminals from portions of the buffer.
 11. Thememory integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the logic circuitcomprises the state decoder.
 12. The memory circuit of claim 1, whereinan output portion of the buffer is connected to an internal data bus.